Peter's Decision
by KattyBorz
Summary: Maybe he wasn't as ready to hear this as he thought he was. He had imagined showing up and just yelling at his dad. He also thought about just sitting there and just listening to what he had to say and then just get up and leave; he fantasized about not even showing up. But he never thought about how hard it would be to hear the words spilling out of Steve's mouth. SUPERFAMILY


**This goes with Steve's Return. You can find it in My Stories just below the title to this story. I know these are kind of short, but I find I excel at short and sweet.**

 **Disclaimer: Own. Nothing.**

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 **Chapter Two: Peter's Decision**

It took three months after Steve Rogers' return for Peter to finally agree to meet up with his dad. His pops had advised him to take his time and to not feel rushed into meeting with the war vet, Peter took a step further. He felt ready to see him again after the first month but he wanted the satisfaction of making Steve wait while he knew that he was ready. It was petty and childish but it made Peter feel a little bit better. He told his dad that he wanted to meet at a train station a little way out of town, to simultaneously avoid being recognized and make sure his pops didn't know what he was doing. Tony's been great about encouraging Peter to see his dad, but he didn't think that his pops would want to know when and where the meet was going to take place. If for no other reason than Peter didn't want to be asked a million and one questions while he was supposed to be having a serious talk with the man that walked out a year ago.

Peter sat down at a bench and pulled out a bottle of soda and a candy bar to snack on while he waited. He arrived early so he could see how his dad would react to seeing him just sitting there. He had thought of countless reactions but the grinning face he received was not one of them. Steve was wearing a zipped hoodie and jeans, the hood of his jacked covered his ball capped head. Peter knew that his eyes were dancing with joy at seeing his only son behind those dark sunglasses. As far as inconspicuous goes, it could use a little help but he wasn't stopped once on his way to Peter so he guessed that something had to be said about its success.

"Hey, Peter." Steve greeted joyfully. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me."

Peter shrugged as his dad sat down next to him. He took another bite of his candy bar and watched as the pedestrians bustled to their waiting trains or hurried down to the street. Peter's chewing slowed when he saw a father and son laughing as they waited a few feet away. Peter became sensitive to seeing moments like that these days. He missed being able to go to ball games with his dad or just go and skip rocks across the pond in a park or just going out to get ice cream and taking as long as possible to get back to the tower before pops requested flavor melted in Steve's hand.

Neither one spoke for a while, and when it seemed like Steve wasn't going to speak up, his dad turned to stare at him.

"You look good, Pete." Steve said seriously. "You've also grown."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's what happens when you leave someone." Peter said broodily. "People get older, they grow up. They change." Steve didn't flinch or react at all. He just watched Peter, he was probably expecting backlash.

"And what about you?" Steve asked. "Have you changed?"

Peter just shrugged as he looked off into the distance, hoping to see something that he could focus on.

Steve moved to face his son more openly and clasped his hand in his lap.

"Peter, I'm so sorry for what I've done to you." Steve glanced down at his hands and sighed. "I know it does nothing to erase the pain for the past year and I know I should've explained earlier…"

Peter drowned out the rest of his dad's heavily practiced speech. Maybe he wasn't as ready to hear this as he thought he was. He had imagined showing up and just yelling at his dad. He also thought about just sitting there and just listening to what he had to say and then just get up and leave; he fantasized about not even showing up. But he never thought about how hard it would be to hear the words spilling out of Steve's mouth, to know that he really did just get up and leave and he wouldn't change it if he was able to. Peter's grip on his candy bar tightened so much that he could feel it crumbling in his palm.

"…wanted to let you know that your pops and I…well…we're not… we're just not getting back together. There is too much hurt and too much distrust there to try and make a relationship work again. But hey, if you want, you can some and see our new place. Bucky thought…"

"Bucky?!" Peter's head whipped around to his dad and his voice pierced his own ears. "You're living with Bucky?"

"Yes? Peter, weren't you listening?" Steve shook his head fondly. "After Tony and I called it quits, Bucky and I decided to give us a try."

"You and pops decided? Or did you just decide?" Peter scowled at his dad.

"We agreed that…"

"Agreed?!" Peter said angrily. "I think you need to think about that again. I don't ever remember you two ever agreeing on anything! All I remember is going to Germany to hopefully bring my dad back home. I remember having to fight _you_. I remember Pops coming home bleeding and in pain. He couldn't even tell me what had happened until several months later. Uncle Rhodey clued me in on what had happened in Siberia." Steve winced before he reached out to his son. Peter jumped away like he was afraid of getting burned. He turned and ran down the stairs and out onto the street. He ran for a couple of blocks before a hand closed around his wrist. He whipped around and ripped his arm away. "Go away!"

"Pete…" Steve stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, palms open at his sides and panting slightly.

Peter shook his head and took steps back as flashes of Germany ran through his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the pain in his pops voice every night during a nightmare, the ashen coloring of his face during a panic attack. He thought he could do this, he thought he was ready for this. He thought he could look his dad in the eye and tell him how much pain and suffering he inflicted on his family. But he couldn't.

"You chose him." Peter said quietly. "You chose him!" His voice rose until he was screaming at the man he once thought of as his dad. "You chose Bucky Barnes! You chose him and not us!" His voice wavered as tears began to fall from his blue eyes. Eyes that everyone says is just like his dad's. "Just leave us alone. Go be with him but leave my dad alone. You don't deserve him. You _never_ deserved him. Just..." Peter took in a ragged breath and he started to back away slowly. "Do whatever you want. Just go _away…_ "

Peter turned and sprinted across the street before dodging into an alley, leaving Steve standing there frozen. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. He knew his son was hurting. But he had hoped that when Peter had told him he was ready to talk and ready to listen that half the battle was over. Now, Steve knew that it was only half of it. The rest would have to come once Peter had time to digest and take in this new bit of information. If he tried to push his son into talking and seeing his side, he would end up pushing him further away.

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 **This was inspired by a manip/fan art/series I ran across of Steve Rogers and Peter Parker. This has been rattling around in my brain for like a couple months. If you know what I'm talking about awesome, if not go to google and type in Civil War Superfamily and search through until you find some familiar words. It's like heart breaking seeing it. It has Peter yelling at Steve is trying reason with him and then you see Tony with a shield in Iron Man's chest and then Peter is yelling at Steve again. It's the Cover Photo of this story too, I just remembered that. Anyway.**

 **There are no plans for another one. I'm thinking I _may_ do a Stony-Superhusband one, probably of the conversation before Peter returned to the tower but I am not sure yet. It depends on how much time I have at work to write stuff. Which I am TOTALLY not doing right now. ;)**

 **Reviews are appreciated but not mandatory. Thanks.**


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